Anode-support.



MWMW o. E. LEPFEL.

ANODE SUPPORT. K

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1911'.

1,036,655, y PatenneaAugz?, 1912;

INVENTOR wrrNEssEs- @@Zwf@ CLARENCE E. LEFFEL, 0F MEADVILLE,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPIR-ELLA COMPANY, 0F MEADVILLE,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

ANODE-SUPVPORT.

roaacaa To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. LEFFEL, a resident of Meadville, in thecounty of Crawford and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Anode-Supports, of which the following is aspecification.

lhisinvention relates to anode supports intended for use inelectro-plating.

The purpose oi' the invention is to provide a support for the anodeplate of simple and cheap construction, which can be very readilyapplied to the anode and in a manner to produce a good electricalcontact, and which can also be readily removed from the anode when thelatter is worn out, and used upon other similar anodes, thereby efectinga great saving.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter de'- scribed and claimed.`

ln the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view through anelectro-plating tank showing the anode in position;

' Fig. 2 is a side view of the supporting hook for the anode; Fig. 3 isan edge view ot' the same; Fig. fl is a side View of the upper por# tionof the anode showing the socket therein; and Fig. 5 is a view lookingdownward on the anode shown in'Fig. 4.

in the drawings 1 represents the electroplating tank which may be of theusual or any desired construction, shape, or size. Extending along overthe tank are two pairs of conducting rods or bars 2 for supporting theanode and cathode, respectively.

3 represents an anode which may 4be of any suitable size, shape andmaterial. That shown is a long dat pla-te about halt` an inch thick.This plate is supported from one pair of conducting bars 2 by means of a-suspending member 4 of special design and detachably attached to theplate.

The usual way of suspending the anodes is by means of hooks cast intothe anodes and suspended from round, generally tubular conductingsupports. In order to secure good conductivity and minimize corrosion.

of contact surfaces these hooks are generally cast from nickelcomposition, which is quite expensive, costing as much asfty cents perpound. When the anodes areexhausted the nickel cast in hooks must bescrapped with the remnants ot the anodes, With a resulting very low.recovery, as com- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 27, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27,1912.

serial No. 651,522.

pared with the original cost of the hooks. The consequence is' that in alarge' electroplating'establishment where very considerable numbers ot'tanks are constantly in use the cost of thesesupporting hooks amounts toa very considerable sum in the course of a year.

` My invention is intended to provide an anode support whereby thesuspending members need not be scrapped, but can be used repeatedly,thereby producing a very large saving in thecost ot' operationofelectro-plating plants. I substitute for the usual round tubesfor'supporting the anodes a pair of fiat bars 2 set edgewise verticallyand spacedslightly apart.

In carrying out the invention the anode` is provided in its upper endwith a dovetailed socket 6 which tapers in both directions, that is,tapers downwardly from the top to the bottom of the socket, and alsofrom one'side to the other of the anode. The socket preferably 'extendsentirely through the anode from one side to the other, but at leastopens on one side face thereof. The suspending member 1 is provided onits lower end of its shank -7 with i an enlargement 8 which is similarlytapered in two directions increasing in width downwardly, and beingWider atone end than at the other, thereby producngva portion somewhatWedge-shaped. This tapered portion is inserted in the socket 6 from oneside of the anode and is driven tightly thereinto, thereby producing notonly a firm mechanical support for the anode, but providing an almostperfect electrical contact, equally as good as if the suspending memberwere cast integral with the anode. 'While the suspending member isremovable from the anode the manner of connection is such that apractically perfect electrical contact is secured, which is of greatimportance in electro-plating, since the current used is of very lowvoltage.

The socket 6 can be formed in the anode by corng when casting, andpreferably both the socket and the enlargement 8 on the suspendingmember are filed, or otherwise finished, to produce smooth contactingsurfaces. I

The enlargement 8 and socket 6 may take various shapes, as shown anddescribed in my application filed-concurrently herewith, Serial No.651,521, the essential being that when desired. 'At the ends of thecross-head are downwardly projecting lips or flanges 11 which normallyproject downwardly along the outery faces of the bars 2 and preventaccidental vturning of the suspending member. The, construction,however, permits of the ready disconnection of the anode from and itsconnection to the supporting conductors. -The cross-head 10 is of suf-H-cient thickness to provide wide contact surfaces on the bars 2 toconduct the necessary volume of current.,

The form of' 'suspending member with cross-head permits of the use offlat rectangular conducting bars 2 set edgewise vertically, which aremuch cheaper than the usual roundsbars or tubes employed for conductingsupports.

The anode support described is of simple construction and can bemanufactured at a low labor` cost.v It provides a secure support fort-heanode and one having an almost perfect electrical contact, while at thesame time being removable from the. anode so thatv the hooks can be'detached from one wornout anode and attached to another at a very greatsaving.- The anodes themselves require no special shaping orfabrication' other than the provision of the sockets 6 in the upper endsQthereof. These sockets need be only of the width of the thickness ofthe anode soA that an enlargement or thickening at the top ofthe anodeinvolving a considerable amount of metal atthe point Where it does noparticular good is entirely avoided.

A,1. An anode support comprising bars spaced apart and a supportingmember'secured to the anode and comprising a shank" provided with across-head adapted to pass between said bars and be rotated and rest jthereupon.

2. An anode support comprising spaced bars and a member secured to ananode comprising a shank and cross-head adapted to pass between the barsand be turned to rest thereupon, said cross-head being provided at itsends with downwardly projecting portions arranged to lie outside of thesupportingv bars and prevent accidental turning voit' the support andanode.

3. An anode support comprising conduct-A -ing bars spaced apart, and amember adapted to rest thereon, comprising, a shank having a cross-headat its upper end and provided at its lower end with an enlargementtapered'in one direction transversely to the j axis of the shank andadapted to enter a corresponding socket in an anode.

4. An anode support comprislngeconducting bars spaced apart and a membercomprising a shank adapted to pass between said bars and provided at itsupper end with a cross-head arranged to rest on said bars and at itslower end provided with an enlargement taperingtransversely to the axisof' the shank, andan anode provided in its upper end with acorrespondingly shaped socket'to receive said tapered enlargement.

A 5. An anode support comprising conduct-` ing bars spaced apart and amember comprising a shank adapted topass between 'said bars and providedat its upper end with a cross-head arranged*A to rest on said barsand atits lower end provided with anV enlargement tapering both transverselyto and along the axis of the shank, and an anode provided in its upperend with a cor.

I have hereunto CLARENCE E. LEFFEL.

Witnesses: J. H. PARDEE,

T. F. CHARLTON.

Copies of this. patent may be obtained for ve cents each, bileddressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C."',.

